As governmental controls become stricter in the control of effluent gases from combustion product exhausts, new and more efficient means are needed to clean up exhaust gases from power plants and other devices. Virtually, all power plants employ fuels, either coal or liquid fuels which contain sulfur. If uncontrolled, effluent gases would deposit into the atmosphere large amounts of sulfur in the form of SO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 S, etc. This is particularly a problem when, in the future, there will be an expanded use of coal derived fuels which are traditionally high in sulfur content. If so, the commonly used stack gas scrubbers in use today will prove to be inadequate.
Stack gas scrubbers serve to absorb sulfur compounds into a water base solution before vapors are exhausted into the atmosphere. The SO.sub.2 combines with water to form H.sub.2 SO.sub.3 according to the following equation: EQU H.sub.2 O+SO.sub.2 .fwdarw.H.sub.2 SO.sub.3
Hydrogen sulfide H.sub.2 S is also highly toxic by inhalation and is a strong irritant to eyes and mucus membranes. It is soluable in water and combines with water in a scrubber much like SO.sub.2.
To prevent SO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 S from being carried into the atmosphere in water droplets, it is conventional to combine the scrubber effluent with chemicals such as calcium carbonate to precipitate out the sulfur compounds. SO.sub.2 combines with calcium carbonate according to the following equation: EQU H.sub.2 SO.sub.3 +CaCO.sub.3 .fwdarw.CaSO.sub.3 .dwnarw.+H.sub.2 CO.sub.3 .fwdarw.H.sub.2 O+CO.sub.2
Thus, under conventional systems, water and carbon dioxide are driven off while calcium sulfite, a white thick sludge is precipitated. The calcium sulfite sludge accumulates in large quantities and is difficult to dispose of. It furthermore has little intrinsic commercial value, thus presenting a disposal problem with little return benefits.